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S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9358
I N S E N A T E
March 4, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 1
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to allowing commuter vans to accept hails from prospective
passengers in the street
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Subdivision p of section 19-502 of the administrative code
2 of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 37 for the year
3 2019, is amended to read as follows:
4 p. "Commuter van" means a commuter van service having a seating capac-
5 ity of at least nine passengers but not more than twenty passengers or
6 such greater capacity as the commission may establish by rule and carry-
7 ing passengers for hire in the city duly licensed as a commuter van by
8 the commission and [not] permitted to accept hails from prospective
9 passengers in the street. For purposes of the provisions of this chapter
10 relating to prohibitions against the operation of an unauthorized commu-
11 ter van service or an unlicensed commuter van, the enforcement of such
12 prohibitions and the imposition of penalties for violations of such
13 prohibitions and to the seizure and forfeiture of commuter vans, the
14 term shall also include any common carrier of passengers by motor vehi-
15 cle not subject to licensure as a taxicab, for-hire vehicle, or wheel-
16 chair accessible van and not operating as a public or private bus trans-
17 it service operated pursuant to a contract with the city, any county
18 within the state of New York, the state of New York or any other state
19 or local government that follows the applicable procurement rules and
20 regulations of such jurisdiction regardless of the seating capacity of
21 any such vehicle. The commission shall submit to the council the text of
22 any proposed rule relating to the maximum capacity of commuter vans at
23 the time such proposed rule is published in the City Record.
24 § 2. Paragraph 1 of subdivision a of section 19-504 of the administra-
25 tive code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 115
26 for the year 1993, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14429-01-6
S. 9358 2
1 (1) A [taxi-cab] TAXICAB, coach, wheelchair accessible van, commuter
2 van or for-hire vehicle shall operate within the city of New York only
3 if the owner shall first have obtained from the commission a taxicab,
4 coach, wheelchair accessible van, commuter van or for-hire vehicle
5 license for such vehicle and only while such license is in full force
6 and effect. Vehicle licenses shall be issued for a term of not less
7 than one nor more than two years and shall expire on the date set forth
8 on the license unless sooner suspended or revoked by the commission. No
9 motor vehicle other than a duly licensed taxicab shall be permitted to
10 accept hails from passengers in the street. No commuter van shall be
11 operated within the city of New York unless it is operated as part of a
12 current, valid authorization to operate a commuter van service duly
13 issued by the commission pursuant to section 19-504.2 of this chapter.
14 § 3. Subdivision b of section 19-516 of the administrative code of the
15 city of New York, as amended by local law number 6 for the year 2017, is
16 amended to read as follows:
17 b. [No commuter van service and no person who owns, operates or drives
18 a commuter van, shall provide, permit or authorize the provision of
19 transportation service to a passenger unless such service to a passenger
20 is on the basis of a telephone contract or other prearrangement. Where a
21 violation of this subdivision has been committed by a driver of a commu-
22 ter van, the commuter van service and the owner of such vehicle shall
23 also be liable for a violation of this subdivision] A COMMUTER VAN MAY
24 ACCEPT HAILS FROM PASSENGERS IN THE STREET IN ADDITION TO ACCEPTING
25 PASSENGERS ON THE BASIS OF TELEPHONE CONTRACT OR OTHER PREARRANGEMENT.
26 § 4. Subdivisions 11 and 12 of section 19-529.7 of the administrative
27 code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 7 for the
28 year 2017, are amended to read as follows:
29 11. a discussion of how commuter van service areas are selected; [and]
30 12. whether, in the judgment of the commission, there is a need for
31 commuter vans in a number exceeding the number specified in subdivision
32 r of section 19-504; AND
33 13. AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF AUTHORIZING COMMUTER VANS
34 TO ACCEPT HAILS FROM PASSENGERS IN THE STREET ON THE SAFE AND EFFICIENT
35 OPERATION OF COMMUTER VAN SERVICES.
36 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.